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Cathy C. Hallhttps://cathychall.wordpress.com/I write, write, write. Then I rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. THEN I submit all those polished-up words out into the world and sell 'em. It's a plan that's worked pretty well.

Finding Contests to Jump on NOW!

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I have no excuse for forgetting about this contest yet again. Because the Delacorte Yearling Contest for a First Middle Grade Novel has been around awhile.

So, if you happen to be an unpublished writer, with a manuscript between 96 to 160 double-spaced typewritten pages, and that manuscript is a contemporary or historical novel, AND you can scrape up enough money for the postage, then send that story NOW. ‘Cause you could get a publishing contract if you win. And even if you don’t win, some editor is going to read your manuscript and maybe say to himself or herself, “Hmmmm.  I like this writer.” It could happen.

But, I do have a perfectly good excuse for not remembering the other send-in-your-manuscript-by-the-end-of-June contest. It’s a brand new contest.

Hunger Mountain is sponsoring the Katherine Paterson Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing. Hunger Mountain is the arts journal at Vermont College of Fine Arts, and they’ll be starting production this summer. You can read more at this post by Cynthia Leitich Smith from her blog, Cynsations.

What I love about this contest is that you can send a novel excerpt or a short story in YA, Middle Grade or Picture Book.  I mean, who doesn’t have something submittable to this contest? So, gather up your pennies (you’ll need twenty bucks worth) and postmark that entry before the 30th.

Because you can’t win if you don’t play. No excuses.

End of Month Submission Madness

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According to my calculations, you have about a week to pull yourself and your writing together and submit something, somewhere.

Now, I know it’s summer. I know it’s too hot to think up settings, or characters, or heaven forbid, a plot with a twist. And I completely understand that you can’t possibly do a thing while So You Think You Can Dance is on. But it’s time to shake off the sand, get your feet out of the kiddie pool, and fire up the grill, um, gray cells. ‘Cause if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. And by “it” I mean your mad writing skills. So, try one of these fine destinations for your sizzling stuff:

Glimmer Train has all kinds of contests, all year long. June happens to be Open Fiction. How sweet is that? Those folks must know you’re in no mood to write anything new. They’re expecting you to send in something you’ve had lying about for awhile. However, they expect it to be amazing. That’s why the entry fee is $20. (First place wins $2,000. Yes, $2,000.)

June’s Contest Challenge at Cool Stuff4Writers is titled “Chaos.” Just create chaos in your scene, in 300 to 500 words and you could win $25.00. I create chaos every day; in fact, Sally the crazy dog is a pro at creating chaos. Even the beneficent Mr. Hall creates his fair share of chaos. So, I’ve got this contest in the bag if things ever settle down enough for me to actually write about the chaos. Oh, and there’s no entry fee. Whee!

But I know that not all of you write fiction. So, I’m going to remind you about A Cup of Comfort for a Better World. Maybe you thought you missed the deadline. But the deadline was extended to July 1st. So, if you’ve got between 1,000 to 2,000 words on a story that celebrates compassion, or volunteerism, or generosity, then start writing now.

Because time, tide, and writing deadlines wait for no man (or woman).